


Evenfall

by nebulera



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, POV Outsider, deception arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulera/pseuds/nebulera
Summary: Obi-Wan returns. Alienation follows, and he sees something he shouldn’t have.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41





	Evenfall

Dooku’s plan is thwarted twice, and the Chancellor lives. After the Festival of Light, Ahsoka and Mace escort the Chancellor back to Coruscant from Naboo, though Obi-Wan stays behind. He’s been away from the _Negotiator_ too long and having been given the opportunity to wait for his flagship to swing by, he’d taken it, to his fellow council member’s approval. He thought that’d it’d be good to see Cody and the 212th again.

He just didn’t expect Anakin to stay behind with him as well. He’d bid their Padawan farewell and waited with Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan figured that Anakin would have taken advantage of his spare time to be with Padmé, who still resides in Naboo for the week, or that he’d at least would have gone with Ahsoka. Perhaps to Padmé he went—as long as he wasn’t around Obi-Wan, which he expected. His old student harbored anger for too long.

Boarding his flagship and seeing familiar plates of white and gold, he felt comforted and at peace. Weeks of being alone with only Cad Band and his peers for company wasn’t the greatest time he’d spent away. Even when he was away from his ship, he’d had Anakin, or his troops with him. Being here meant it was truly over, and he walks the corridors and with the respect and regard of his troops. 

The bounty hunter appearance and voice still hasn’t worn off quite yet, so upon seeing Cody on the bridge of the _Negotiator,_ he’d had to announce himself as best he could, hoping Anakin’s presence behind him said enough at least.

“General,” Cody says, saluting. His face is hidden behind the helmet but Obi-Wan can hear his amusement at the physical differences. And then, like lightning through his heart, he feels a harsh feeling overcome his senses for a brief moment, so quick and gone that Obi-Wan has barely any time to react. But he’d felt it before. When he fell and Ahsoka held him, when Anakin saw him for the first time after finding out he’d lived. He foolishly expected something different from his commander.

Cody doesn’t acknowledge it. Obi-Wan glances over at Anakin who's leaning against the automatic walls with crossed arms. Though he’s not looking at the two of them, he’s listening, and he had to have felt what Obi-Wan did—joy surrounded by pain, hidden in between the cracks, betrayal. When Obi-Wan looks back at his commander, Cody turns his head back from also looking at Anakin.

“Cody, did you enjoy your vacation?” Obi-Wan says, an attempt at levity that he hopes doesn’t end with his commander clocking him in the face.

“Heh. It’s good to see you, General.”

“Likewise, Marshal,” Obi-Wan says. He smiles a bit. “I’m sorry for all the confusion. And this appearance doesn’t make it any better.”

“It was a job.”

Obi-Wan tries not to be hurt by what he feels is passiveness. “Well, I’m glad it’s over,” Obi-Wan says. He reaches up as if to scratch his beard he doesn’t have. “I’m only hoping to get back to looking like me again. Thankfully we have the leave to do it.” That was a gracious thing he’d been given. Another week's worth.

“Not us, General,” Cody says. Obi-Wan can hear a gross smirk in his words. 

“How do you mean?”

“We already have our next orders.”

Anakin shifts out of the corner of his eye. “I could have sworn…” Obi-Wan trails off. 

“They couldn’t afford to give us another break, not so soon after Umbara.”

Obi-Wan ponders sadly. “Well, that’s a shame. I could forgo mine—“

Cody waves his hand and shakes his head. “There’s no need, sir. Enjoy your time off. You’ll be back before you know it.”

“I guess you’re right. I suppose no matter what, it’s better than competing with bounty hunters all day.”

Anger simmers in the air. Obi-Wan and no one else would notice how Anakin pushes off the wall and leaves with such animosity with every step. He wonders what on earth he waited for if being around Obi-Wan annoyed him with every passing second. Obi-Wan sighs and watches him go until he turns back around towards the commander, who is also looking in the direction that Anakin just harshly left.

Obi-Wan blinks. Seconds pass before Cody finally turns back toward him. “Is… everything all right, sir?” he says with a concern that doesn’t belong between them.

“It will be, Marshal.” _Anakin’s not very happy with me,_ he almost says. 

Later, when Cody asks to be dismissed, Obi-Wan bids him off and tries not to be disappointed when he leaves rather quickly, though not before letting Obi-Wan know he was glad he’s alive. 

“Thank you, Cody,” he says, and watches him leave. Deflated and confused, Obi-Wan leans over the holotable and doesn’t care to look over when the ship takes off into hyperspace.

…

Obi-Wan passes the corridors in silence. There’s hardly any movement for the halls are dead and empty. This is their short break for the time, not for Obi-Wan, he has to remind himself.

Passing one of the many locker room entrances, Obi-Wan’s pace slows. He’d been on his way to his rooms, but the Force emitting from this space hit him strongly, until he could undeniably feel their pain become his. Out of concern, and perhaps loneliness, Obi-Wan found himself seeking out the source. He turns into the entrance, expecting one of his men, or even Anakin. If it was the latter, he would do his best to try to fix whatever broke between them.

It was indeed Anakin. But upon seeing who he was with, Obi-Wan shielded his presence, both physically and through the Force. The commander is sitting on the ground against a wall, his helmet off and beside them. He’s holding Anakin in an embrace, Anakin’s head hidden in Cody’s neck. One of Cody’s hands is stroking the hair hiding his face away.

The both of them were in a state of pain, though it wasn’t so all-encompassing. They shared a mutual joy as well and it passed between them like a warmth that Obi-Wan was intruding upon. 

There. He was intruding. He’d known the good Commander and Anakin to be friends, especially back when Cody was Captain and Anakin hadn’t yet become a General, hadn’t gotten his 501st yet, but he’d never seen them like this, and Obi-Wan began to step back and away from this picture.

He hears Anakin sniffle and he raises his head from Cody’s neck. His cheeks shine in the low light and Cody raises a gloved hand to wipe under his eyes. Anakin also brings a hand to the side of Cody’s face, then slides it to the back of his head, and pulls him forward, resting their foreheads together tenderly like a kiss. Obi-Wan doesn’t waste anymore time leaving.

It’s strange—he’d never anticipated...that. It’s been a while since the first battle of Geonosis, and he hoped he’d been wrong, but he’d thought Anakin still had feelings for Padmé. His anger and fierce devotion was loud and heard for miles when it came to her that fateful day, when Obi-Wan realized his Padawan was breaking the code.

He wasn’t disappointed. Plenty of Jedi do, and they don’t Fall. Obi-Wan isn’t so naive to think everything is as black and white as many think their Order’s morals consists of. 

But it’s been two years of war with Cody by their side.

Once he reaches his quarters, he does what he did before and tries to put it away from his mind. It’ll do no good talking to Anakin about it unless he’s prepared to be gaslit or argue. He’ll not talk to Cody because, well, the commander is so dutiful and professional, it took Obi-Wan by surprise to realize he’d been mad at him too, for lying. And that the commander was also upset and missed him.

To think the two of them were comforting each other over _him_ made his stomach swell with guilt—he’d partially felt it before, when he wrestled with Anakin on Orondia and when Anakin pointed in his face and called him a liar. Because that’s what he was wasn’t he? For keeping this from his friends. But what’s done is done. All he can do is wait for Anakin and Cody to understand and forgive him.

He’ll never mention what he saw to them, not in levity or in trust. He’ll keep doing what he’s good at: being oblivious, for the sake of both of their statuses. Obi-Wan doesn’t hope—he knows Anakin understands what may come, and that he’s a Jedi first, before anything else.

He goes to bed without doing any work that night. He doesn't think to meditate. His head a jumbled mess, and the next few weeks seem uncertain in his view. He is alone.

**Author's Note:**

> yay or nay


End file.
